Avatar: The Last Airbender | |
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Also known as | Avatar: The Legend of Aang |
Genre | |
Based on | Avatar: The Last Airbender by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko |
Developed by | Albert Kim |
Starring | |
Composer | Takeshi Furukawa |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producer | Bonnie Benwick[1] |
Production location | Vancouver, British Columbia |
Cinematography |
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Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Netflix |
Related | |
Avatar: The Last Airbender |
Avatar: The Last Airbender, also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang, is an upcoming American adventure fantasy streaming television series. It is a live-action adaptation of the animated television series of the same name (2005–2008). First announced in September 2018, Albert Kim is set to be the showrunner, with an ensemble cast including Gordon Cormier, Dallas Liu, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Daniel Dae Kim.
The series is scheduled to premiere on February 22, 2024, on Netflix and will consist of eight episodes.[2][3]
The series is set in a war-torn Asian and Indigenous American-inspired world where certain people can "bend" one of the four classical elements - water, earth, fire or air. Aang, the "Avatar" and the last living Airbender, is the "bridge" between the mortal and spirit worlds, and the only one capable of bending all four of the elements. The Avatar maintains the balance of the world and nature to bring peace, and Aang is now faced with the responsibility of ending the ambitions of the militaristic Fire Nation to conquer the world. With his new companions Katara and Sokka, Aang sets out to master the four classical elements while pursued by the exiled Fire Nation crown prince Zuko, who seeks to regain his honor by capturing him.[4]
Ciara Mandel, David Sakurai, Rohain Arora, Jayson Li,[41] and Jon Ray Dy Buco have been cast in undisclosed roles.[42][43]
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by [44] | Original release date |
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1 | "The Last Airbender" | Michael Goi[45] | Teleplay by : Albert Kim and Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko | February 22, 2024 |
2 | "Warriors" | Michael Goi[45] | Joshua Hale Fialkov | February 22, 2024 |
3 | "Omashu" | Jabbar Raisani | Christine Boylan | February 22, 2024 |
4 | "Into the Dark" | Jabbar Raisani | Keely MacDonald | February 22, 2024 |
5 | "Spirited Away" | Roseanne Liang | Gabriel Llanas | February 22, 2024 |
6 | "Masks" | Roseanne Liang | Story by : Ubah Mohamed and Bryan Konietzko & Michael Dante DiMartino Teleplay by : Emily Kim & Hunter Ries and Bryan Konietzko | February 22, 2024 |
7 | "The North" | Jet Wilkinson | Audrey Wong Kennedy | February 22, 2024 |
8 | "Legends" | Jet Wilkinson[46] | Albert Kim | February 22, 2024 |
Roseanne Liang and Jabbar Raisani direct episodes of the series.[2] Jet Wilkinson directs the eighth episode.[46]
In 2018, Netflix announced that a "reimagined" live-action remake of Avatar was to start production in 2019. The series' original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, were initially announced to be the executive producers and showrunners.[47][48] In June 2020, the creators departed the series due to creative differences. This was revealed after DiMartino published an open letter on his own website on August 12, 2020. The pair cited differences in their approach to the show compared with Netflix's vision, also citing a "negative and unsupporting" environment during their time with the studio;[49][50][51][52] the duo ultimately received writing credits for the first and sixth episodes.[44] In August 2021, Albert Kim was officially announced as a writer, executive producer and showrunner; he commented in a blog post: "My first thought was, 'Why? What is there I could do or say with the story that wasn't done or said in the original?' But the more I thought about it, the more intrigued I became. We'll be able to see bending in a real and visceral way we've never seen before."[53] In the same post, Kim emphasized that "throughout this process, our byword has been 'authenticity'. To the story. To the characters. To the cultural influences. Authenticity is what keeps us going, both in front of the camera and behind it." Dan Lin, Lindsey Liberatore, Michael Goi, and Roseanne Liang were also announced as executive producers with Goi and Liang both directing episodes of the series.[54][53]
It was reported that each episode cost more than $15 million to make, with eight episodes per season.[55]
Prior to their departure, DiMartino and Konietzko had revealed that they are committed to "culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed casting" according to a statement from Konietzko.[56] Konietzko had said that he was hoping to include Dante Basco, the original voice actor who played Zuko.[57] In August 2021 following leaked casting reports, Netflix revealed the show's cast for the main four characters: Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley and Dallas Liu as Aang, Katara, Sokka and Zuko respectively.[53] Kim felt that "this was a chance to showcase Asian and Indigenous characters as living, breathing people. Not just in a cartoon, but in a world that truly exists, very similar to the one we live in."[58] In November 2021, Daniel Dae Kim, who previously voiced General Fong in the animated series and later Hiroshi Sato in The Legend of Korra, joined the cast of the series as Fire Lord Ozai.[7] Later that month, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Lim Kay Siu, and Ken Leung joined the cast of the series, playing Iroh, Gyatso, and Commander Zhao respectively.[6] In December, Elizabeth Yu, Yvonne Chapman, Tamlyn Tomita, Casey Camp-Horinek and Maria Zhang were added to the cast, respectively playing Azula, Avatar Kyoshi, Yukari (a new character added as Suki's mother in replacement of the mayor of Kyoshi Island), Gran Gran and Suki.[10]
In April 2022, Arden Cho and Momona Tamada joined the cast as June and Ty-Lee.[19][21] Later that month, C. S. Lee was cast as Avatar Roku.[13] In June 2022, A Martinez and Amber Midthunder were cast as Master Pakku and Princess Yue respectively.[11][12] In July 2022, it was revealed that James Sie would reprise his role as the Cabbage Merchant from the animated series.[16] In September 2022, more additional roles were announced, with two of them being George Takei as the voice of Koh the Face Stealer and Randall Duk Kim as the voice of Wan Shi Tong. Takei previously voiced the Fire Nation Prison Rig Warden in the animated series, while Duk Kim had a minor role in the 2010 live-action film The Last Airbender.[59]
Production and filming began in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 16, 2021. The series was filmed under the working titles Trade Winds and Blue Dawn. Principal photography wrapped on June 17, 2022.[60][54][61][6][62] Stewart Whelan served as a cinematographer.[63]
DNEG will handle visual effects.[1]
Jeremy Zuckerman, who composed music for the original show, was originally set to return to compose the music for the remake[64] but later denied his involvement with the show after DiMartino and Konietzko left the project.[65] On February 16, 2023, it was confirmed that award-winning Japanese-American composer Takeshi Furukawa was attached to the project as its composer.[66]
The first look of the four main characters of the series—Aang, Katara, Sokka and Zuko—was released at Netflix's Tudum fan event in June 2023, along with a teaser featuring the four elements in the show.[2] This was followed by a first look at the characters from the Fire Nation in October 2023.[67] On November 9, 2023, Netflix released the first official teaser trailer for the series.[68]
The series is set to be released on February 22, 2024.[2][3]